Ely, Minnesota
Welcome to Blueberry Hill Island, a precious island cabin that has been part of our family for 45 years. Come enjoy a sacred tranquility, morning coffee with the best sunrises on Burntside Lake, nesting loons nearby calling each other across the vastness, & smallmouth bass just a cast away off the dock.
Park on our own mainland private access, bring your own boat or rent from an area rental company, and in a few minutes, you'll step into peace and adventure.
Blueberry Hill sits on a 10 acre peninsula of this 80 acre island, where delectable wild blueberries cover the glacier-made rocks in season, hummingbirds await your arrival, eagles swoop overhead, snapper turtles may show up searching for your leftover fish parts, and the resident pine marten may greet you. While hiking the 10 acres of low and high ground, you may also encounter various signs of additional animal activity on the island, such as the nearby beaver hut, beaver-chewed driftwood, and deer and bear scat.
Two-story windows of this modified A-Frame face east, where the dock and swimming area are most often calm, sheltered from westerly winds. Rough-hewn cedar inside and out, with an open floor plan. Three bedrooms include two enclosed rooms on the main floor with beds for 6, and an upper open loft with 2 twin beds and 4 additional mattresses. You can even scatter these on the floor as we have done for years to accommodate young friends and family. Pull-out queen sofa can sleep another 2.
A tiled, rain shower bathroom features locally crafted, unique accents, including sauna door handle, wooden posts, and personally-hewn mirror. Wrap-around decking allows for ease of movement from sauna to lake, from loft to outside forest, from kitchen living room to large outer deck.
Fun and easy activities include swimming, waterskiing, tubing, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, fishing, and stand-up paddle boarding, and equipment for some of these are included. Large flat, grassy outdoor area can accomodate tenting.
We brought my dad to this cabin to meet his first grandchild for the very first time! We spent the week fishing, laughing, cooking and just relaxing together as we watched him bond with our daughter. Kathleen has created a very special place that we highly recommend! She was so communicative and caring and provided us with excellent recommendations. What a gem.
Well maintained home, kitchen was well stocked with quality cookware, comfortable beds with nice bedding, and the 10 acres were absolutely stunning. We loved our stay and hope to return!
We had such a lovely week at this beautiful cabin. We loved the privacy and amenities offered by this gorgeous northwoods island retreat. Communication was also exceptional.
The views are breathtaking and lake was very quiet. Everything was clean and organized. One of the best family vacations we've ever had. Thank you again Kathleen.
Amazing week through and through. I cannot say enough about this spot. Amazing location, private. Home has everything you need: huge loft with airy views of the lake and open spaces, first floor with bathroom, sauna, full kitchen, two bedrooms. Sitting area overlooks the lake. The deck....we could have spent our entire vacation there. Everything is well stocked. Loved the dock--deep water on the edge made for a perfect Sauna pairing. Spent the entire week there, left for day canoe trips but otherwise just relaxed. WOW!
From the second we arrive on the island we knew we were someplace special! I celebrated my 60th birthday on day 2 and it was perfect! Hiking, boat rides, dining in Ely and blowing out a well lit cake to an amazing full moon rising over a glass lake! With each day we gained a new level of peace and calm! This property was build to admire the sunrise! I was on the deck by 5:30, or earlier, to make sure I could witness the event...and I'm not a morning person! Brilliant beyond words! Worth the trip alone! The best vacation ever! Thanks Kathleen! We'd love to return...before my 70th!!?
The setting for this cabin is absolutely fabulous. Given it is on an island and on a very large piece of land one gets complete privacy. A boat, canoe and kayak allow for trips on lake and transportation back to mainland (takes about 5 minutes) as needed. Renters should know decor and kitchen equipment are mostly original, but it is clean and overall very well functioning (the freezer made noise a few times and owner was notified, still worked though). Owner was also super helpful with additional information about the area as needed. Watching the sunrise while sipping coffee on the porch is unbeatable! We would love to come back.
Our large adult family gathered together for a week of peace, beauty, laughs and love in this fabulous, tranquil setting. The cabin was absolutely lovely, perfectly accomodating all of our needs and more! Our stay was, in large part, without electricity due to a major storm just prior to our arrival. We embraced the entire experience with a joyful, adventuresome spirit! This setting is simply gorgeous with breathtaking views of the lake, amazing sunrises and nighttime glimpses of The Northern Lights! We absolutely treasured our time here and are planning our return!!
We spent a week at Blueberry Hill and had a wonderful time. From picking blueberries in our pajamas (for blueberry pancakes) to fishing the lake to watching gorgeous sunrises and moonrises from the expansive deck. The cabin is well maintained, clean, and has everything you need. The dock on shore is not too far from the island, making it quite easy to run into town, when necessary. The island is centrally located in big Burntside Lake, making it easy to get to anyplace on the lake. We loved it, and hope to return next year.
We spent the week at Blueberry Hill with our 3 kids and nephew. The location was wonderful-easy to get to town and great water access for swimming and fishing. Our kids loved to explore the island and swim the day away. We especially loved morning coffee and tea on the deck overlooking beautiful Burntside Lake. The cabin was clean, cared for, and well maintained. It was a wonderful week!